Pipeline 101(An Introductory to the Lifelines of Energy)

Rick RobertsAbhay Chand

Why Pipelines ?

• Energy in the form of oil and gas needs transportation– From its source to a plant where it can be processed into a usable

product– From the plant or processing location to the markets for

consumption– Pipelines are a vital entity that touch our lives almost

everyday at our homes and in our nation’s industry. • The transportation options are

– Rail– Road– Ships– Pipeline

Why Pipelines ?

• Pipelines are by far the best option to transport these fuels both in their crude and processed forms.– Safest– Most Reliable– Economical– Can be built into inter-connected networks

• A barrel of crude oil or petroleum product shipped by pipeline reaches its destination safely more than 99.999% of the time

Why Pipelines ?

• There are approximately 2.5 million miles of pipeline crisscrossing the United States.

• These lines transport and deliver the nation’s crude oil and petroleum products such as: gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, chemicals, home heating oil and natural gas.

Delivery Systems

So what would a Natural Gas Delivery System as it exists in the

United States today, look like ?

Complex Processing Scenario

What are the different types of Pipelines?

• Gathering lines• Flow lines• Transmission lines• Distribution lines

vGathering lines and transmission lines could be onshore (on land) or offshore (sub-sea)

Onshore Pipeline Construction

1. Route Survey2. ROW Clearing & Grading3. Trenching

4. Stringing5. Bending

6. Welding7. Pre-padding

8. Lowering9. Post-padding & Backfilling10.Hydro-testing

11.Block Valve Installation12.Final Grading and Full Restoration

PipelineConstructionProcessActivities

2017

Route Survey and ROW Clearing and Grading

PipelineConstructionProcessROUTESURVEY

CenterlinesurveycarriedoutonthepermanentROW(Rightofway)markedaspertherequiredspecification.Thecenterlineofrouteismarkedbyplacingstakes.

ROWPREPARATION

Thisstepcoversstakingthecenterline,clearingandgradingalongthepipelinerouteasrequiredforthework.

Clearing

ROWPREPARATIONGrading

2017

Trenching/Ditching

TRENCHING/DITCHING

TRENCHING/DITCHINGUseoflevelinginstrumenttocheckthealignment&depthoftrench

•The trenchers are able to crush rocks to very small pieces and dig a Perfect Rectangular trench.

•Less Manpower involved as compared to Blasting and Trench Excavation by Excavators. Safer when compared to conventional method.

Water sprinkling for dust control

TRENCHING/DITCHING

2017

Stringing

Transportinganddeliveryofpipetopipeyard

STRINGING

Stringingistheplacingofpipealongthetrench.

STRINGING

Unloadingoflinepipesfromtrailerwiththehelpofvacuumlift

STRINGINGPipe is not be placed directly on the ground but on skids, with proper padding. Dragging, skidding or dropping of the pipe is not permitted. Wooden wedges are used to prevent movement of pipe.

Strung Pipes along the trench

Placingpipeonsandbags

STRINGING

2017

Bending

BENDING

All necessary pipe field bends require a trigonometric survey toestablish the number and degree of bends to ensure that theinstalled pipe conforms to the contours of the pre-padded trench.

The radius of cold bends shall be not less than 40 times the pipediameter.

A smooth stretch-bending machine makes the cold bends. Bendswith ripples with a depth exceeding 0.5 mm, wrinkles and kinksare not acceptable.

The procedure for bending is such that the extremities of each joint remain straight over a minimum distance of 2 m or twice the pipe diameter, whichever is greater. Bending shall take place before any double jointing. The lay out and measure of the pipe for bending is such that the length of off-cuts is kept to a minimum.

LinepipeBending,MandrelSet-Up

Bending Machine

BENDING

PipebendinginProgress

BENDING

GaugingPlateinspectionafterbending

BENDING

2017

Welding

WeldingSteps:1. Beveling and cleaning2. Alignment, Spacing, Fit up 3. Preheating4. Welding

WELDING

UseofspiderBurnersforpreheating

WELDING

InternalWeldingMachine

In-Situ Beveling Machine

WELDING

WeldingHuts

WELDING

AutomaticWeldingMachine

Automatic welding Machine

WELDING

WeldingInprogress

WELDING

Settingaweldinghutonapipejoint

WELDING

Welder Stencil

WELDING

Identification of Welds:Each weld is clearly marked with weather proof chalk or paint to denote the weld number and welder(s) making the weld. These marks are in a very specific format and order on the pipe using a combination of numeric, alphanumeric and other marks or symbols.

WELDING

PIPE weld numbering

KPNNN – (AAANN) – WNN (AA)

KP

FabricationRef.

WeldNo

RepairStatus

•KP is the KP digit format from as per requirement•Fabrication Reference is the optional part of the weld number that identifies the special weld and coded as follows;

Type Code This code indicates;

Crossing

Road Crossing

RDX1RDX2RDX3RDX4RDX5RDX6

River Crossing

RFX1RFX2RFX3RFX4

Tie In

Tie - In TI

•The tie in between KP sections or at crossing locations etc.

Final Tie - InFTI001FTI002

… •The welds that will not be subject to hydro test. (I.E locations at each end of a block valve assembly etc.)

Prefix generally used for the Identification of type of Weld

Block ValveBV01

…BV09 •All welds made on each block valve assembly and site completion

Test Ends

TE01TE02

•Temporary welds for hydro test purposes

•Weld No is the weld number within the KP section and numbered as 01, 02 and etc sequentially. If new welds are insertedbetween existing welds, the A, B, C system will be applied.•Repair Status is the optional part of the weld number that identifies whether the weld is repaired or not. The codes relatedto this part are as follows;

Code Explanation

R Repair

RW Re weld

1. Inter Pass Cleaning

7. Weld SeparationThe minimum allowable distance between the girths welds shall be D or 500mm whichever is larger. The minimum length of pup pieceshall be larger of 2D or 1000mm. There shall be no more than three girth welds in any 10m length of pipelineWeld to branch connection should be at least 150mm from any girth weld. The minimum distance between any adjacent welds other thantwo girth welds shall be the larger of 4t or 50mm.

X-raybyinternalcrawler

NONDESTRUCTIVETESTING

AutomaticUltrasonicTestingMachine

NONDESTRUCTIVETESTING

AutomaticUltrasonicTestinginprogress

NONDESTRUCTIVETESTING

GritBlastinginProgress

FieldJointCoating

Weldedjointaftergritblasting

FieldJointCoating

JointCoatingInprogress

FieldJointCoating

2017

PRE-PADDING

Pre-paddingoftrenchinprogress

BACK HOE

SCREENING PLANT

Pre-Padding

Spreadingofpre-paddingmaterialwiththehelpofBobcat

Pre-Padding

2017

Lowering-in

LoweringinProgresswiththehelpofSidebooms

SIDE BOOM

Lowering-in

ReadytoLowertheSectionRollingCradlesusedforSmooth&fasterOperationofLowering.

CRADLES

Lowering-in

Loweringinprogress

Lowering-in

Loweringinprogress

Lowering-in

2017

PostPadding&Backfilling

Postpadding

PostPadding&Backfilling

PostPadding&Backfilling

Backfilling is performed as soon as possible after padding has been completed.

Screening Pan

Backfilling

Backfilling

2017

HydrostaticTesting

Breaktank&filterarrangementforhydro-testing

WATER FILTER

BREAKTANK

HydrostaticTesting

TestCabinforpressureMonitoring

DEAD WEIGHT TESTER

HydrostaticTesting

Hydro-testingarrangement

HydrostaticTesting

Hydro-testingBackpressureArrangement

HydrostaticTesting

Hydro-testingHeader&Compressor

HydrostaticTesting

MagneticPIGformagneticdebriscollation

Hydrotesting– Drying&Swabbing

GaugePlateisusedtoprovepiperoundnessandensureexcessiveweldpenetrationordebrisdoesnotexistinthepipeinterior.

HydrostaticTesting– Drying&Swabbing

2017

BlockValveInstallation

Blockvalvestation

BlockValveInstallation

BlockValveAssemblycloseView

BlockValveInstallation

PIGReceiveratBlockValveStation

BlockValveInstallation

2017

FinalGrading&FullRestoration

2017